


The Blood Curse

by RavenSnowStar94



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Jacob and Nagini bond, Nagini joins Newt's squad, Nagini will have a new love interest, Post-Movie 2: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Theseus is important and deserves happiness, Tina is a sweethear
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2019-08-23
Packaged: 2019-09-05 18:22:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16815997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RavenSnowStar94/pseuds/RavenSnowStar94
Summary: Nagini must choose a path. With or without Credence.While her thoughts still drifts towards him, she starts to build a life of her own.With new friendships developing, and a certain peace in her heart.She chooses a path.Not an easy one, but the one that will bring her freedom.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello guys!
> 
> This fanfic is based on some crazy thoughts I had after watching Fantastics Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.
> 
> The characters belong to JK Rowling.
> 
> Construtive comments and random ones are always welcom! <3
> 
> PS: English is not my native language, so sorry if any mistakes were made.

Prologue

_ Paris, 1927 _

Wishing sometimes often turns out to be a disappointment or a frustration. Your mind is so set onto the need of your wish to become real that most of the times people get lost in the middle. Get lost in other emotions, resembling anger, loneliness or even vengeance. Nagini chose to believe that the company of another person and maybe love, could erase the past, could erase all of the sleepless nights while working at Circus Arcanus.

While holding Credence’s hand, immersed on the feeling of his cold skin coming in contact with her feverish sweaty finger, she realized she could actually try to change the sadness in his eyes to something that resembles happiness.

The circus people were yelling. Not at them but of fear. The explosion that went off caught the tend and set it on fire almost immediately, many people were scared by seeing the flames and the animals running from one side to the other were frantic. They both were hiding at the corner of a building, looking out to see if anyone dangerous appeared. Laying low until they could go out of their hiding spot and onto their new mission.

She caught sight of some Aurors arriving at the scene, lowering her head as she pressed herself more into Credence’s back. He said something, but Nagini was a little disoriented by her transformation back to human, so she didn't quite grasp his words. He put an arm around her shoulders, shielding her from the confusion and from the messy world around them.

When everything seemed to be darker than before, emptier than earlier, Credence backed away from the spot they were both in it, dragging her by the hand, passing through the statue that was a portal to the muggle Paris. They both exhale and with a glance to Credence, Nagini knew he was thinking about where to go. They were all alone now, with only one thing to do, one hidden agenda...finding his biological mother and maybe having a family. 

“We are free, Credence…” She didn’t mean to sound so heartbroken, her heart being replaced by this new free form.

His hand came to rest on hers softly, as his eyes sparkled with something different than sadness.

Relief.

Hope.

But everything was shattered later that week.


	2. Begin Again

** _Père Lachaise Cemetery, 1927_ **

“He knows what you were born, not who you are....” Nagini yelled at Credence, not wanting to believe that the man in front of her actually believed that joining that mad man would answer all of his questions. She didn’t want to believe that he was choosing a path that she couldn’t follow him. Her hold on him didn’t matter, he was blindsided by Grindelwald words and even with her nails dragging through his skin, she wasn’t holding him anymore.

Her inside were eating her away, painfully she tried to grab his hands between all the chaos and blue fire, but he was unreachable now. Credence took a step back, passing through the fire and not screaming with pain, making Nagini once again confirm that he actually wanted to join Grindelwald.

Why Credence fell for that man’s words was beyond Nagini’s comprehension, because everytime that man opened his mouth...she could only feel dread. It’s like something crawled up on her skin, in a bad way, and an awful feeling lingered behind.

The blue flames engulfed him, dissaraying his raven hair and making his brown eyes lit with something deep inside of him. Fear, hope or loneliness, Nagini couldn’t read him anymore. Not when he chose this new path without her.

She suspected that Credence wanted for her to join him, but she would never be tamed again, not by Grindelwald and not by anyone. Not after hearing what the man had done and will probably do to the wizardry world. He promised freedom, but not before caging everyone’s to his whims. His charming personality would call many people, people that would have never joined him otherwise. People like the blond woman who can read minds, as she walked through the fire and joined Credence on the other side, Nagini remembered her from the tales Credence told her. She was the sister of the auror who tried to help him in New York.

So you see, even good people were being fooled by that mad man’s poisoning lies.

The red haired man, the muggle and the auror, Tina. They were all scattered around the auditorium and Nagini couldn’t run to them, but she could try to not be consumed by the fire that was closing on herself.

Looking one last time to Credence, she gave him a apologetic smile and broke in a run to the higher stands of the auditorium, grabbing the seam of her skirt and hopping to not fall. The animal inside of her was begging to be let go, but she passed this last year trying to control her transformation better. Knowing full well that stressful situations always triggered the predator inside of her blood.

She hid behind a pilaster, waiting for a way to get out of the auditorium but knowing that the madman would soon kill them all than let anyone get away, so she opted to wait and see.

A nice looking woman yelled a ´I love you´ to one of the two red haired man, both of them went aghast when the blue flame involved the girl trying to protect its master and Nagini seeing all the scene crumpled to the ground. Holding herself barely with the help of the wall next to her, as tears started to roll down her cheeks.

She was used to cruelty, she was used to pain, during her stay at the Circus Arcanus she got well acquainted with all those things. But seeing that woman so selflessly giving her life to maybe buy some time to the two man still staring at the place where once she was, made her heart ache for her. That woman loved so much and in the end died because of that. Before both man could process what happened to the woman that disappeared before their eyes, all hell broke loose.

When the fire started to chase everyone who didn’t pick a side, Nagini walked to the nearest door but it was closed. She tried to punch the stone, hoping it would move somehow, trying even a spell but the magical block was still up. The muggle came closer to her, also searching for a way to get away but when booth looked at each other she felt the block disappear and she knew she could apparate.

She grabbed his hand and when both of them were outside, they almost crashed with an odd looking man, white hair and fragile structure that wore a beige robe.

“You!” The muggle exclaimed while Nagini was left confused. “You are that guy! The one from the house…”

“Oh, Merlin...this doesn’t look easy-peachy.” The old man took out his wand, Nagini stepped away at first sight and when the old man looked again at them, she felt a sort of peace. The man put the want pointing at his neck and suddenly he seemed to be yelling. Some sort of volume spell mixed with his voice so everyone could hear him. “Everyone, I am a friend of Albus Dumbledore and I need everyone to make a circle around the auditorium...we are going to stop the fire.”

Nagini didn’t know if the warning work but the old man went up some stairs of the cemetery and held his hand to Nagini, who was currently kneeling on the ground. She caught his hand, as the muggle followed both of them to a higher place.

“You both stay behind, this can get ugly.” He said but with a sly smile crippling out.

The muggle stood next to Nagini, he was crying while the magic happened in front of them, and she knew how much he was hurting. They had something in common, they lost people they care that night and nothing in the world could make them feel better at that moment.

When she saw the fire disappear, Nagini thought that she would pass out for a second. But then the old man turned to them smiling, putting his wand back inside his robes.

“I think all is well now.”

They heard footsteps and then Tina appeared running to them, with a angry expression on her face. She stopped in front of the muggle, almost exploding with how much she seemed to be holding back from yelling at him. Her eyes filled with tears, and when Nagini thought the auror would set off...the red haired man appeared. With his dorkish smile, and puffy hair, next to a man taller than him and very look alike, maybe they were brothers.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t stop her, Tina.”

The muggle said before Tina could fully turn to the red haired gentleman coming to them, she whipped her head back to the chubby man in front of her and sighed.

“Nothing could have stopped her, Jacob. She loved you too much. You know how she is…”

“Still…”

Nagini stayed back, hid by shadows while observing the group. When the two red haired men finally arrived, the short one hugged the muggle in a awkward way while the taller stayed farthest away from the rest, looking utterly dejected.

Tina became extremely fidget, probably waiting for the short red haired man’s attention to be towards her. While Nagini was starting to realize that Tina was infatuated by him, someone touched her shoulder. When she looked next to her, the old man was smiling.

“Don’t worry. For now we can all breathe a little.” He sounded almost sheepish and that made her think he didn’t actually know how powerful the mad man was.

She then lost track of what was happening around her, suddenly there were more aurors, somo of them glancing at her but getting more uncomfortable with the muggle than with her, a strange asian woman who somehow was involved in all of this mess. Tina must have talked that she was clear, because they should be asking her tons of questions by now. Usually aurors interrogate first and foremost, knowing she had probably been at Grindelwald’s meeting.

The old man disappeared after a while, Nagini noticed that when Tina tried to find him and questioning how he knew where to be and what to do about the fire.

All of the nameless aurors apparated, leaving only the people Nagini could almost say she knows the names of. The tallest red haired man voiced something for the first time since his arrival.

“We all need to go to the Ministry, to clarify everything to my superiors.” His tone still sounded defeated, as his whole demeanor. His brother, Newt, avoided eye contact with him. Probably because of the death of that lady, she seemed to be close with both of them before…

“You are right, Mr. Scamander.” Tina as the by the book auror agreed with the Head of the Aurors, or whatever he is.

“I need to go to Hogwarts.” Newt seemed to have other urgent matters at the famous Hogwarts School.

Nagini remembers the stories she heard about there, how her brothers thought it was the best school of witchcraft in the world, even while attending Mahoutokoro School in Japan. The nearest school from the Philippines, where they all started to attend since their seven year old of age.Her being the oldest of five children, was the only one that graduated because right after her graduation...the blood curse her mother passed to her started to show itself.

“Alright, Newt. We should indeed go and see Dumbledore.” The tallest one said. Looking a bit more alive than before, but that didn’t make any different because while he looked better, she knew the pain he was dealing with inside him.

Newt had a weak smile on the corner of his mouth, while Tina joined him and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Nagini never saw a man blush before, but Newt came closer to that.

Somehow she looked at the Muggle, as if searching for an answer, but Nagini knew he was as lost as him. Why Newt needed to see a man named ‘Dumbledore’ at Hogwarts? She thought that the tallest one and Tina were Aurors, so they should act more authoritarian and not agreeing so fast to the short one. That Nagini knew very well was a Magizoologist, someone that studies creatures.

“The muggle and…” The tallest one seemed to notice Nagini for the first time ever. He looked up and down to her, trying to figure it out what to do. He must have concluded she was a witch because the disgusting look that most of the wizards gave muggles wasn’t plastered on his features. He looked confused.

“She’s a friend.” Newt said rapidly, blurting this brand new information to everyone and even to Nagini herself. Why was he saying that when he didn’t even know her name. “A witch friend.”

“She did that thing where you travel to a place to another very fast.” The muggle said sounding calm and giving a proof of her magic.

“We should go before anything else happens here.” Tina smile at Nagini, as if she was her partner in crime. “Let’s all go in pairs. Jacob go with Newt and I…Do you know where Hogwarts is?”

Nagini said a low ‘no’, still afraid of talking around these people that so easily called her a friend but at the same time don’t know what she was capable of. The nights where she dreamt of strangling her ‘owner’ with her slick serpent body and thirsting for it, every night, for many years. Of how when the circus scorched with flames she could only thing of the man she so much hated not being able to get away and lit up.

“She tags along with me then...Mr. Scamander?”

The taller one nods and then disappears, apparating in the middle of the group. Then Jacob gave Newt his arm and both of them also were suck by the void, their turn came then and Tina offered her hand to Nagini that touched willingly and with fear crippling under her skin.

  
  


** _Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_ **

** _Scotland, 1927_ **

  
  


The atmosphere of the place were they landed seemed to be colder than Paris, making Nagini which was wearing only a plain long sleeve dress, shiver.

They were all gathered at the beginning of a huge bridge that linked the road to a scottish castle that was surrounded by a gigantic lake, probably the house of many magical sea creatures judging by the look Newt gave the water under them.

“Newt!”

A voice came from the other end of the bridge, near the castle entrance. The owner of the voice was a bearded man, around fifty years old that looked oddly happy waving at the group from afar.

Newt then started to walk towards him, everyone stayed put and Nagini got distracted by the enormous building in front of them. That’s what her brothers and hr dreamed about when they were kids, when rumours of the accomplishment wizards graduating from Hogwarts started to get around. It consumed the fantasies inside their child brains, making magic even more special than before. More to Nagini’s younger brother, Nimuel, who was born a squib.

She walked to the bridge’s rail, placing both of her hands on the hardstone material and peering down to the lake. Seeing little boats at the other side, near a dark forest, a place that she felt a strange connection to it.

“Miss Goldstein, we should also go with them.” The tall man looked back at Nagini and the muggle, probably wondering if they should take both of these strange people with them or left them outside.

Nagini hoped they would enter the school.

“He is a muggle and she...we don’t know if she’s clear yet.” He crashed Nagini’s dreams, and whispered the last part as if afraid they would hear. Which was dumb, because they were all very close to each other physically.

Tina faced the muggle, Nagini now remembering that his name was Jacob, and started to explain what they should do while they were outside.

“Stay put, we won’t take so long and later we will discuss arrangements.” She smiled weakly at him and both aurors went to the direction where Newt disappeared. Leaving Jacob and Nagini all alone, during a cold scottish twilight.

She was tired.

What happened at the cemetery seemed to finally been processed by her brain, making a strange cold perpetuate at the surface of her skin. She shivered, not wanting to start to sweat and then proceed to have the feeling that the snake would come out. Not while Jacob, a person who can’t protect himself was all alone with her. Not having anyone to help them or around them.

“This school seems...haunted.” Jacob suddenly said, probably feeling strange by the silence. She looked at him, wondering what he was seeing, it was a common thing to schools to have a spell around them to fool muggles that come near it. At her old school, muggles that tried to hike the mountain were hit by a spell that slowly makes them feel dizzy and without of breath, so they always opt to give up and go back to the root of the mountain. But here at Hogwarts…

“What do you see?” Anything to keep her mind out of the snake inside of her.

“Hum...a decaying fortress? I don’t know, it looks medieval and old and dirt. Also there is a sign right there saying ‘danger do not enter, unsafe’...” He took some steps backwards, a little out of breath.

She was too preoccupied with this dreadful feeling growing inside of her, maybe talking with this muggle took her mind of it for a little while.

”How was your school? It was like this too?” The muggle asked. He also seemed willing to keep talking so the things bugging him wouldn't mess with his head.

“It was formal and...beautiful, like this one it had a freeing aura around it.” She put herself back to the thousands of corridors inside the temple where the school was set, and if you look outside any window you would realize that the temple was at the top of a mountain. In the middle of the lower clouds, with a permanent cold wind always coming through under the fissure of the doors. “All schools of witchcraft have spells around them so muggles can’t see it.”

“That explains, you saying this place is beautiful was strange.”

Jacob came to where Nagini was leaning over the railing of the bridge, placing his hands like she did at first, sure and firm at the surface. While trying to get a peak of the rest of the place, unfortunately it was already dark and the stars were almost fully on show on the sky.

“Do you think they are alright?” He suddenly asks, not looking towards Nagini, he was avoiding eye contact even more. His hair was damp with sweat, and he looked more tired than her at that moment.

“Not entirely...but that man needs them.”

She knew Credence believed that Grindelwald had all the answers he was looking for, as well as most of the people who were seduced by his words. Nagini hoped that Creden was at least warm, with a blanket around his shoulders and food to fill the places where shown his hunger of this last few years. She hoped he realize that Grindelwald is mad and come back to her, to the side where fewer people would die.

“Queenie is the love of my life. My moon and stars...and I hurt her. I called her ‘crazy’ but I should have gone with her...She is all alone there.” She hear a sniff, but he wasn’t crying, soon he would though.

“You would die there. Doesn’t matter that Grindelwald wants muggles and wizards to mingle, you would be in danger.”

“You wizards...always telling that muggles are in danger, well, we certainly are because there are some strange things that had happened this past few months. Specially inside Newt’s case. But I wished I could do something.”

Her vision started to get blurry. The sweat beads starting to form on her forehead, even with the freezing cold settling around both of them.

“Can you…” She started to say, but before she could end her sentence she hunched forward. Painfully aware that she would transform in front of Jacob, in front of a muggle that couldn’t protect himself if she lost control over her snake body.

She crawled through the railing, pushing herself to get some distance from him and then she fell to the ground. Knees touching the hard surface first, making her hiss by the scraping of her knees. Jacob was speechless by what was happening, he tried to move but was too scared to do so.

“I am Nagini and not a monster...I am Nagini and not a monster…” She kept repeating to herself as a mantra, as a way of anchoring herself to her human part. Jacob seemed to be yelling now, but she wasn’t sure if it was at her or to her.

She lost track of how much time passed as her breathing came shallower than before, as her eyes started to close and she started to accept her other form.

_“Stupefy!”_

The spell hit her fully in the back, and before she hit her face to the ground, she felt a hand catching her head and making itself as pillow. A delicate hand, warm one, that wasn’t Jacob’s. Knowing that she lost conscious hoping it was Credence holding her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> I have an idea to where this fic is going but mostly I'm just going with the flow...
> 
> Have a nice weekend and amazing readings <3


	3. Believe

**_Newt’s suitcase_ **

**_New York, 1927_ **

  


When she opened her eyes was to welcome an orange toned light seeping through the nearest window of wherever she was. It looked like it was the sun setting or the sun rising, she couldn’t be sure. Her clothes were different from before, the worn out dress she used at the circus was replaced by social clothes, pants and purple shirt that was at least two sizes bigger than her.

Nagini sat on the bed, a little sad she hadn’t experience fully what was sleeping in a perfect mattress after using the floor for so many years. She missed the feeling of soft cotton under her palms, but she wasn’t able to continue to appreciate that because she heard a soft snore coming from her right direction.

A man was leaned over a table, with his arms under his face as his eyes were shut almost making him look angelical. Even with his strong jaw and the serious expression she saw before, he looked like a boy while sleeping on the chair next to her bed. The tall red hair man must have been really drained to be here with her, or he was guarding her. She didn’t know the correct answer.

But then Newt appeared from behind a glass door, smiling weakly as he noticed she was awake. Carrying a bucket to the inside of her room.

“My brother tends to snore so I’m sorry if that’s why you woke up.” Finally she understood they were brothers, and even if their features were alike, their whole persona was different. “Are you feeling better? I had to _stupefy_ you.”

“Why?”

“You are a Maledictus. I know it’s painful to transform.”

Nagini stood up fast from the bed, controlling the little head dizziness that appeared when getting up so suddenly. She was on alert, because something didn’t add up in this situation, people don’t just know she is a Maledictus.

“How do you know that?” Unfortunately, she didn’t realize her back was to the sleeping man and because of her movement he must have woken up. The tip of a wand was pressed at her back, not making her nervous the sightless but irritated for not having hers.

“Theseus, it’s alright. She won’t hurt me. I won’t hurt her, it’s everything under control.”

Newt’s brother voice came from behind her.

“Where is your wand?”

Between gritted teeth she responded not so happy about it.

“I don’t have it with me.”

“We know you apparated, how come you don’t have?” But then the wand disappeared from her back, she turned to him, a little amused by the astonishing expression she saw on his face. What was amusing she didn’t know, but the way his eyes looked at her as if seeing something different, as a painting in a museum, made her feel strange but good. “You know wandless magic…”

“I won’t use it. I promise but...let me go.”

She pleaded to both men, hoping they would let her go away and try to find Credence.

“Don’t you want to find Credence? We were hoping we could count with your help.”

Newt seemed to beam at Nagini, with his confidence and awkwardness both clashing and making an unusual aura around him.

She didn’t know what to say. What to think and to what she was agreeing, she just wanted to find Credence and be free from everything. Travelling the world next to him and making him smile the way she hopes he would.

“I don’t want to go against that madman, but I do want to find Credence.”

Theseus, the tall man’s name, was rounding her and going to stand next to his brother. They were both handsome and brave, looking at her as if she could give them something they didn’t have, when in reality they had everything she always wanted.

“My name is Nagini.”

She stretched her hand, offering as a way to say she is on their side, even if she didn’t want to say it out loud, even if she was afraid of stepping up at this war that was forming. Newt grabbed her hand, apologizing for the stickiness of it saying he was feeding Crups before entering the room.

Newt gave her a nod and the bucket he was holding before went with him to a closed door at the other end of the room. Then Theseus also lift his hand to grab hers, but something made her flinch away before he could touch her.

“I’m Theseus Scamander, Head of the Aurors Office and Newt’s brother.”

“Nagini.”

“I know that I should be professional and ask you some questions...but we’ve been through a lot, so I’m postponing.” His eyes were dazed and almost closing shut as he spoke. His hand went to pushed back his slightly curly hair, and she noticed that his right hand was scraped.

He then went out of the room, after his brother or a place to rest his head.

Nagini then exhaled loudly. Finally alone again, leaving her mind to work around what she just agreed to do. She decided to venture herself around the place she was, something inside her told her that Newt wouldn’t mind her exploring wherever they were.

She went through the door Newt came from, a little hesitant doing so, coming to stumble in a elfish creature that threw her an angry look. It murmured something, probably cursing her, but Nagini didn’t mind that because she was currently paralized by the size of the room she just entered. A room with high ceiling and a stone staircase that seemed to go four floors up, or more. There were more elfish creatures at her right side, four or five, mumbling to the one Nagini had stumbled on. A lime green bird flew next to her head, and in an instinct she hunched down, not scared but surprised. The lime green bird rested his little feet on a huge tree at the other end of the room, where many branches were inching to all directions and being on many sizes. Next to the bird, other colors of the same bread were staring at her: orange, pink, yellow and blueish palette of colors stared at her. Not in a predatory way, just a curious gaze, which animals had when finding something new. They seemed to be singing but none sound came out of their vocal chords, they were mute or under a silency charm...Nagini suddenly remembered something she learned at school many years before, there was a magical creature that must be it, a Fwooper. A bird that could make you insane if listening for longer than some minutes.

Nagini felt something crawling on her clothes, a small furry animal got inside her pocket pants, as if searching for something. It sniffed her and its little pawns appeared from the pocket and sweet eyes were staring up at her.

“Hello…” She murmured to it. Finding the creature esplendid and adoring.

“If you have any jewels, hide it. Nifflers love shine things.” Newt appeared again on her line of vision, he was coming from her room, alone and not caring a bucket anymore.

“Do you take care of all of these creatures?”

“Yes. They don’t need me though, they just need understanding. That’s what I do.”

“You understand them?”

“I try to, it’s my mission in life.” He smiled at the tree behind them, probably observing the strange bird. “I’m trying to understand you too.”

“Why?” Nagini was being to feel exposed, she didn’t like to be part of a research or anything similar to that. She went through years of being an attraction, and she was done with that life.

“Because you are a creature.”

Before Nagini could react, Jacob appeared from nowhere and gave Newt a little pat on his head.

“Newt, you don’t say these things to a lady.” Jacob sat on a bench that was next to a little cascada of water, which was ludicrous to have one in a room.

Nagini knew Newt didn’t mean to hurt her feelings by saying that, and even if he had done, it was the truth. She was a creature deep down, a disgusting and dangerous snake crawled through her veins. Making sometimes impossible to breathe.

“Hum, sorry, Nagini. I said that thinking about your condition…”

“My condition doesn’t make me what I am.” The bravado on her voice made Jacob squirm a little, while Newt only seemed more out of place. She wanted to apologize for her tone, but she was tired. Tired of always having to be the submissive one, the one obeying to everything other says. Still, these people helped her, and helped Credence. She owned them a little bit of gratefulness. “I know that I agreed to whatever you lot are doing, but my main focus is finding Credence and my condition is not going to be a problem…”

“Nagini, is just the researcher in me talking. But if you want I could try to find a cure, or maybe something to prevent the transformation…” He kept talking about it, and she was almost losing her temper once again. She was almost letting it all out but then Tina came down the stairs and Newt’s face lighten up as he saw her.

Forgetting all about what just happened, Newt went towards Tina and smiled at her. With eagerness and something similar to adoration. It was obvious how he felt for the auror, but something was getting on their way it seemed.

Nagini was thankful that Newt was so easily distracted, so she continued to walk around the place. She nodded at Jacob who threw her a sympathetic smile, and then she followed the Niffler that was earlier smelling her dress.

She looked over at where a path of snow formed, a drape that divided that room to another apparently filled with snow. The brownish Niffler that she was together with went to a branch of tree that had a opening and it was unusually filled with coins and things that look valuable. In an instinct she reached for her necklace, hoping it was still around her neck.

She didn’t care that her barefoot touched the floor filled with snow, she was only focusing on the mountains in the horizon and at the feeling of being naked to everything. Cold had a strange influence on Nagini, she adored it, maybe because she never had it on her birth country or maybe because it was good to feel something other than pain.

As she walked more, the sound of conversation got lower behind her, and Nagini saw a flash of something moving slowly towards her. Not in a scary way, only as if it was drifting in her direction.

Nagini felt a sudden chilly sensation, not the good kind of cold she felt before but a feeling that was consuming her, that was making her walk more into it and probably was a strange spell but she couldn’t stop the drawing sensation overtaking her senses.

“Nagini.”

A male voice called her. She was expecting to be Credence, but it was way to firm to be his, so she didn’t even flinch.

“Stop.”

The owner of the voice grabbed her wrist, not in a possessive way but with a gentle solid hand and when her eyes turned to his, she frowned. Why did this man was stopping her from going towards the thing. Towards something that was calling her?

“Newt told me to come to get you. You can’t touch that, Nagini...It’s dark magic.”

While he talked, Nagini woke up from that fuzzy sensation and charm that she was on before. She could now notice his browish eyes staring at her and paying all the attention to her face or maybe worried by what she would do next.

“I’m sorry. I just-” She tried to form the words, she wanted to explain what had happened, what had called her. But now she could feel the snow under her feet, the strange warm coming from the drape that would take back to the big room with the tree. “Nevermind…”

She followed him inside, wondering why he wasn’t asleep like she thought he would be. Wondering if he is alright even if he was still probably grieving the death of that woman, who Nagini suspects was his girlfriend or fiance. Why he kept going on and on when he should be resting?

Back inside the warmth ambiance, she went to see the family of Nifflers. Patting each one of them and giggling when they started to climb her arms, thinking that this cute creature is feared by wizards. Nagini wanted to laugh at that thought.

“Nagini, we will have a meeting with Dumbledore at the end of the week. Do you want to participate?” Tina explained to Nagini while encountering the witch at the Nifflers safe home. She had a hand on her shoulder as if to comfort and a reassuring smile. “You can stay with me.”

“I thought Newt and Jacob were staying with you.”

“No, Newt has his apartment in London and Jacob needs to work on his bakery.” Her cheeks reddened a little, maybe scandalized by the fact that Nagini thought she lived with Newt or just because Nagini said Newt’s name.

“And...Newt’s brother? He doesn’t look-”

Tina looked over at Theseus, also sharing the same worry Nagini had.

“He has a house in the countryside that he says he's going to stay there.”

Jacob joined both wizards talking, and Tina got a sad expression on her face by seeing him. Probably remembering the blonde girl, her sister, Queenie. Probably sad that she blamed Queenie's choice on Jacob.

“Theseus has been sleeping more than anyone here. Newt doesn’t say it but he is worried.”

“His fiance died, Jacob. We should let him grieve.” Tina said in a monotonous tone.

A Niffler came to grab Nagini’s shirt, probably Newt’s, as if asking for some love so she patted his little body. This Niffler’s body was brownish, and his eyes were intelligent and deep, something she thought would be a good combination in a pet or in a little thief.

When she studied at Mahoutokoro they only had three years of Care of Magical Creatures, Nagini back then hated that subject because it reminded her that she was partially a creature. But she remember the Hippogriffs, the Nifflers and even the beautiful and tragic, Phoenixes. She known this creatures but never thought that ‘cute’ would describe one of them, and looking at this little Niffler grabbing her arm made a little tug on her heart.

“Does Newt name them?”

Tina looked at the Niffler on Nagini’s arms, saying that Newt didn’t name them. Because he never knew any name that would be proper to the magnificent of their beings. No name would match their exquisite personalities and traits. Nagini smiled a little, Newt seemed to be more like a father than a researcher.

“You can name them if you like…” Tina always talked with a sweet smile, since the first time they exchanged words.

She appreciated that, Nagini had Tina in a highest position knowing what the auror did for Credence in New York. And Tina obviously treated Nagini with tender because she knew what had been happening on the Maledictus life. The abuse and caging life that Nagini up until few days ago was living seemed to be in a distant past already, the fresh air and the moon illuminating her face changing things inside of her.

The rest of the day went on smoothly, with few things to do and less people inside of wherever Nagini was. Newt once again made a comment about the research he could do regarding her condition and once again she refused, it will be time consuming and without a chance of a solution. His bright smile didn’t felter though. A strange hopeful glint in his eyes appeared, and then while patting the Niffler that never left Nagini side, he turned to her with strange amusement.

“It would be a pleasure to do this research, really, I’m doing more for myself than for you.” And Nagini understood that, she knew they weren’t that close and she was just an experiment to him, but she couldn't be mad at him. Whatever his intentions were, the result would benefit her future. Her freedom. So she nodded and made it clear that she thought it would be a waste of time but told him she would help him if he needs.

When darkness seemed to finally descend, Tina asked for Nagini to follow her and after the farewells, both women went up the stone staircase and reached a door on the ceiling. When Tina pushed it open, Nagini was surprised to realize they were exiting a small suitcase that was on the floor of a shabby apartment.

The suitcase closed.

**_Kowalski Bakery_ **

  


Nagini when understanding from where they just came from, looked back and saw the suitcase was indeed on the floor.

“We were inside this suitcase?”

“Yes, I know it’s unusual but we didn’t know if it was safe to be out in the open right after Grindelwald’s escape.”

The place was full of shelves and a wood desk in the corner of the room, with a window view to a empty street. Tons of papers laying around the floor next to the desk, as well as leftovers of coffee cups.

She went to the window and the street was gloomier than ever, they were not in Paris she realized.

“Whose place is this?”

“Jacob’s. It’s the back office of his bakery.”

It started to rain outside of the little messy place they were, but Tina opened the front door and waited for Nagini to follow her. She made a umbrella out of water in a swiftly movement with her wand and then nodded towards the street.

“We shoud apparate now, we are going back to London.”

Nagini went to stand next to Tina, realizing she was relying too much on people she just met, and that terrified her to the core. But still, Tina and Newt had tried to help Credence in New York as he told her and seeing their hopeful smiles made her uneasy feelings disappear.

A metaphorical hand held these people that now she felt the eagerness to call friends. These aurors, scholars or even muggles...Nagini has chosen to follow them and trust them with every inch of her soul, even if in the end she ended up destroyed.

She had nothing to lose now that she didn’t have Credence by her side and she doubted that he would be back soon to her.


	4. Planning

**London, 1927**

Tina apparated right when Nagini got a hold of her arm, and they were then stumbling through a irregular sidewalk in the busy Shaftesbury Avenue near the Hyde Park.

It was night already, and Nagini wore clothes not so appropriated to the current weather. She hugged herself, feeling the chilly wind burning her skin.

“I thought you lived in New York.” She finally said through gritted teeth.

“I have an apartment here that has been vacant for some time, my parents decided to move to New York but they didn't want to sell the place.” Tina looked at how Nagini shivered a little. “ I might have warmer clothes for you there.”

Nagini was relieved to hear that. She could imagine a night where she would have to spend colder than snow, she remembered the harsh winters during her stay at the circus. When she had to sleep on the cold floor with only her jacket to keep her warm, almost reaching the point of a frostbite.

“We are almost there…” Tina whispered to herself, they crossed a narrow street and then entered a larger one with brick buildings lining up until the end of it, they were all alike and hard to differ from each other, but they had a strange kind of comfort with the warm light coming through the front windows. They reached one that had it lights off, a strange missing step to the front door and a faded yellow doorbell. “Here! Nagini you need to touch me to enter, it's a spell related to my bloodline. Conservative and old.”

Nagini stepped closer to Tina and then when they touched and the auror turned the doorknob...there was a buzz that passed through them and suddenly they were inside the house.

It was old and dusty. Probably no one had been there since Tina's parents moved out. Even the air seemed harsh and heavy, due to being closed for so long and not being cleaned regularly.

“The last time I was here it was nicer, I swear.”

Tina had a smirk on her lips and a tense jaw, because of the work she would have to clean this place. It wasn't as if Nagini could help her. Sure, she could do some wandless spells, but they were all simple and insignificant.

“Come, better go to the bedrooms so I can clean them at least and then we can have a nice sleep. I'm in need of a good bed.” Tina touched her own forehead as if concentrating and then sighed.

She started to walk up the stairs to the right and Nagini followed her.

On the second floor of the house, there was a living room with shelves full of books that were unknown to Nagini and probably foreign. They entered a door at their left and it showed a bedroom with three single beds and a massive wardrobe at the far corner. Tina murmured a spell and suddenly all the dust covering the surfaces of the room dissipated, leaving everything the same but without the danger of an allergy going off.

“Nagini, I'm sure I have a dress or a nightgown somewhere...maybe it will be big because my cousin was pregnant when she stayed in this room.”

Nagini went to the window that went from the ceiling to the floor and she watched the calm street under it. Two man walked talking to each other while a woman was also watching something outside her window. Tina was going through the wardrobe when she gasped in triumph.

When Nagini turned it was to see Tina showing her a camisole with delicate flowers painted on the hem, which would probably touch the floor judging by Nagini's height.

“Thank you, Tina.”

She went to dress herself while Tina looked for something she could wear and when they were finally laying each at their own bed, Nagini could swear that she heard the auror humming a soothing song. Maybe to calm her own nerves or just to calm both of them. Nagini was being to realize that Tina must also have her own monsters at bay, trying to make her lose her mind. And she used a song, something from her childhood...the Maledictus could swear her own mother once sang this same melody to her. And in the middle of some questions and familiarity, both of them were dragged to a soundless sleep, where no nightmare or dreams took a part. Only the need of resting ruling over their minds and body.

*****

The next day Nagini woke up to the sound of Tina getting up from her bed. The sun wasn't fully out yet, and the room was colder than she imagined.

They both went around the room changing to the same clothes they were the day before, deciding that they would find something new later, after they restored and cleaned the whole house.

“How long are we staying here?” Nagini asked after dusting off one of the shelves on the living room downstairs.

“That depends. Newt is going to bid goodbye to Jacob and then he's coming back to Britain. Mr. Dumbledore thinks is better if we all stay in Europe because it's easier to apparate.”

“Is Jacob fine with being left behind? Because... it's his fiancee that is with  _ him _ .”

“He is a non-mag. He knows the dangers and we can't afford getting a civilian hurt in this mess…” Tina sighed, not because of the labor but because she was also struggling with the situation. “I think he would like to get himself involved more, and I believe Newt would love to have his friend with him during our planning stage. But...when my sister comes back, I don't want to tell her that her boyfriend was killed or hurt while trying to get her back. I don't want to make my sister sad again.”

Nagini was speechless. She never heard the auror talking for this long and even being about something so deep and personal. Her hands wanted to place a hand on Tina's shoulders as a way of comforting, but she wasn't able to do it. She still was a little afraid of letting go of her fears.

“It's good then. He is safe away from magic.” She simply said.

Tina smiled weakly.

“We should continue this after lunch.” Tina let go of the piece of glass she was passing a wet strap, and went to the front door. “I'm going to the store to get us something to eat. See you soon.”

She left. Leaving a confused and lonely Nagini wondering if everything would go back to be the way it was after the circus and before the cemetery. If everything would go back to normal when Credence was back from Grindelwald's claws.

Tina and Nagini spent the next two days not saying much to each other but not because they wanted, they were just busy thinking and in all honesty, sad. They both had things to mull over in their heads, Tina spent the silent moments thinking about Newt’s presence back in her life and Nagini thought of the lack of Credence in hers.

Credence became part of her start of happiness when he stuck his hands through the metal bars of the cage she always slept and offered a warm hand to hold on to. She never let go of it, figuratively she was always holding his hands even when they were so far away, she only wished that he was too.

The morning of the day they were supposed to meet Newt and the others arrived, and Tina broke the silent and decided that it was time to stop moping apparently. Nagini was glad for that because sometimes your mind can play tricks and she needs some sort of reality.

“Sorry, Nagini.”

Nagini didn’t need to hear an explanation, she understood what Tina felt to an extent.

“What time we have to go?” She opted to change the subject before things got depressed or silent.

“In an hour or so...are you adjusting to the clothes? My cousin had some dresses before pregnancy that I thought would fit you well.”

“They are...pretty.” The word sounded strange coming out of her mouth. Being most part of her life in the midst of chaos and brutally, she never once thought of something being pretty but this dress had some life in it and when she moved to one side to another, the hem of the dress flew and she felt light. “I like emerald.”

They eat breakfast and then went to a secluded street nearby, the house didn’t allowed apparating inside of it and on the sidewalk was too visible.

Nagini once again grabbed Tina’s arm and both of them almost went down to the floor because they landed right where Newt apparently put his suitcase. They were in a shabby apartment, in London, its walls were covered with articles about unusual things happening all around the world and foundings in muggle medicine, also articles about potions were spread on a bed at the corner.

“It’s Newt’s apartment. He is messy like this…” Tina said with a little smile on her lips, she must find it somehow adorable. “Let’s go inside.”

They descendent the stone staircase, Newt was talking to Albus Dumbledore while gesturing wildly in the air. A dark skinned man was there too, but Nagini didn’t remember him and something in the way he looked up at her made her tremble slightly.

“...sounds like a marvellous thing, Newt.” They heard Dumbledore before they noticed their presence. The man looked over Newt’s shoulder, to where Tina and Nagini both stood and smiled. “Miss Goldstein and Miss Nagini, you are here.”

“Good morning, Professor Dumbledore. Mr. Kama.” Tina said taking some steps ahead and joining them, Nagini opted to go and see the Niffler she so much missed. Growing attached to a creature she only met for a few minutes was something absurd and new to her. Before she could move though, Tina called her.

They all set around a wood table, and someone appeared to be descending from the stone stairs. Newt stood up and gave a shy hug to his brother that just arrived, and Nagini noticed how unkempt he looked. It must be hard to get past the pain of losing his fiancee, she felt for him.

“I’m sorry for my delay.” Theseus said before sitting down next to Newt.

“Mr. Scamander, you can take your time...Newt told me you’re leaving for some months.”

The professor seemed amused and curious, and Nagini had a strange feeling about this man that so many people devoted themselves to, but he only seemed to be holding back something. Even the man that Nagini didn’t know the name seemed uncomfortable with everything.

“I’m taking a leave from work, they will put my substitute as the head auror.” Theseus looked like he wished that the subject of conversation could change. “Do you have any idea where Grindelwald could be, professor?”

Nagini liked how he got himself out of the situation, now depends on Dumbledore if he is continuing to be invasive or if he would talk about the important things.

“No, Mr. Scamander, I am still trying to find their location. But the most pressing matter now is destroying the Blood Pact.”

“And you are sure that you don’t know how, professor?” Newt said almost angrily. “I don’t have the time to waste with your riddles and omission of information. We have people we care in danger.”

“What Newt means is that if you have even a clue to what could break it, that would help immensely.” Tina interveneed fast and sweetly. “But if you don’t we are going to start from zero and research through books and contacting curse-breakers around the world. And that would take some time.”

Dumbledore put his hands above the table and laced them together pensively. He looked dangerous then, but with a friendly expression on his face, an odd combination.

“I was a foolish boy once. I did this Blood Pact with Grindelwald without thinking about the consequences...we’ve though back then that it was something similar to a Unbreakable Vow, we were wrong and right…” He looked at everyone around the table and then settled on Newt’s. “I fear the only way is that if any of the partakers dies.”

“Magic has always another way.” The dark skinned man talked for the first time, making everyone a little intrigued. Dumbledore threw a sympathetic look at him.

“Yusuf, that maybe so, but I fear that on this particular case...magic can’t be tamed or changed.”

“We need a potions expert. Or a botanist. We can research in all areas and see if anything gives us something.”

Newt talked almost standing up, he was brimming with anxiety and Tina touched his arm so he could calm down. Nagini seeing the gesture, tried to think of something she could add to the conversation that could help. Unfortunately, her mind was fuzzy about magic after so many years barely using it.

“Dumbledore.” Theseus spoke. With a strong intonation, Nagini looked confused at him. “If there is anything we don’t know that you want to share, now is the time.”

“What are you implying with that, Theseus?” Newt asked a little sad.

“I’m not implying anything. I’m asking for not only Dumbledore, but everyone on this table to put the cards on display. We can’t afford secrets and family drama-”With that he looked over at Yusuf. “-getting in the way.”

“Gellert was someone I loved.” Everyone seemed to freeze at those words that Dumbledore finally admitted with a certain reluctancy. “People change. Sometimes for the better and others for worse. My past association with him won’t interfere with the fact that he needs to be stopped, and fast.” He leaned over the table, getting closer to Theseus’s face. “Is that clear for you, Mr. Scamander?”

Yusuf seemed to not be breathing, and Tina rolled her eyes with this ludicrous situation. 

Nagini, on the other hand got distracted by a strange sound of water coming from the far end of the room. And she was honestly happy that her mind got busy with other things, apparently everyone started to talk with each other at the same time and it seemed a mess.

There was a glass window, but when she pressed her eyes firmly as if doing that would make her eyesight better, she noticed that it didn’t have a window. It was water, like a invisible barrier not allowing its content to splash outside, and inside the water she could see a big creature swimming around.

She went back to pay attention to the conversation around her when Newt stood up a little upset with Dumbledore, and Yusuf was arguing something with Tina. When Nagini turned her head completely to the people around the table, Theseus had his eyes on her, not in a mean way just a little unnerving.

“Let’s all calm down now. Newt, I will contact some colleagues I have in the Potions department and see if they have something.” Dumbledore finally said after Newt become quiet.

“I’m going to call a friend that is an excellent curse-breaker.” Tina said demanding, and throwing a knowing look at Nagini.

Newt was looking at his feet, and Theseus touched his arm as if encouraging his younger brother to speak.

“My mother is well acquainted with botanic, I’m going to ask her if she knows something.”

Dumbledore smiled, standing up from his chair and accessing the room.

“We can meet when everyone has new information. Thank you all for coming today, and-” He turned to look at Nagini who was surprised to see his attention on her. “I would like to have a word with you if that’s convenient.”

She nods. Not so sure of what he had to say but a little hesitant to stand up and following him to a quiet place. There is something about professor Dumbledore that unsettled her. 

They went in the direction of the unknown creature, where there was a transparent wall blocking the water from entering the room. Dumbledore stopped right next to it and put a hand inside the water.

“Don't fear what you don't know, Nagini. Follow your curiosity, I'm sure no harm will come...at least with this.” He gesture with the hand that was still inside the water.

Nagini got a good look of the creature inside the water, it was similar to a horse but more adequate to water and it seemed happy while doing turns and back flips.

“What do you want to talk about?”

“I preferred to talk with you about a personal matter and seeing how angry you got when I talked about delicate things in front of everyone before...I chose to get you away from the others.”

She wasn't going to deny anything. He was right. What he did to Theseus was a little indiscreet knowing what the head of the author is going through.

“There is a legend. Of a creature that killed during the day and slept through the night. People often says that this creature one day stopped killing and vanished…” Nagini's heart was beating fast. “Many people, including me, think that this creature found peace within itself and got a hold of his humanity.”

“Maybe this creature died.”

His eyebrows rose.

“I choose to believe on the other theory. The thing is Nagini, is that Newt talked to me about your ability.”

“Ability?” She almost took a step ahead. “It's a curse...a dangerous and tragic curse that my family has been suffering for generations. It's going to kill me in the end.”

“Sadly, you are right. But I think I can help you. Many researches were done of how to tame inevitable transfiguration. Maybe it will help in the meantime.”

“I tried meditation. I tried sleeping for longer hours. I tried herbal teas that had superstitions about it. I tried so many things.”

Nagini didn’t want to let this man infer, even if a little, that she didn’t try at least. She would never succumb to this condition but she was tired of trying and decided to let it go and live the days she still had.

“Later you will receive a list, try to do the things there. They might not cure you, but they are sure good methods of managing your condition.”

She turned to look at the water he had his hand inside of, she didn’t know his purpose of still letting his hand there, but she wanted to know if it was cold or hot. If the sensation was still the same when she swimmed with her siblings at Samal Island… Her fingers grazed the soft surface, and then entered without hesitation. It broke the barrier but the water was unfazed by her intrusion.

“Thank you, Mr. Dumbledore.”

Nagini didn’t bother to look sideways to see if he was still there. She preferred to keep her focus on the water, on the feeling and memories that came with it. Not the cold, but the sensation of belong to something way bigger than her, to feel connected to the ocean and waves. Of how her body moved, following the ondulation that the wind made the water do. She remembered of her siblings and wished to believe that they were safe somewhere in the world...or that they were at peace in the sky.


	5. Promises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> Sorry for the delay on posting a new chapter, but I had to take some time to plot some things about this fic that I decided to change lol Sorry, I promise that I will try to post one chapter per week, pray for me! 
> 
> Hope you enjoy this new piece and feel free to comment anything! (Sorry if I made any mistakes, English is not my native language O_O)

**_London, 1927_ **

When Nagini and Tina went back to the house in London, they found a letter near the door. It have Nagini’s name written in an elegant cursive way, finding it odd she let Tina reach for the paper to inspect if it was something dangerous and if they have to move. In the end it was just a letter from Dumbledore.

“How does he knows where we are?”

“I learned not to doubt Dumbledore’s way of finding out things…” Tina handed the letter to Nagini at the same time they entered the entrance hall. “What is this letter about?”

“He said he knew some information about...how to prevent a transformation.”

Tina seemed to be choosing her next words with care.

“I thought you could control it.”

Normally, Nagini didn't want to talk about her condition. About the curse that invaded her life and destroyed from within, but now, the auror in front of her was offering to listen and to help. Tina with her simple smiles and sweet eyes always seemed to bright up the darkness in Nagini's soul.

Nagini was almost certain she could call her a friend. Something she craved and had only one until now. And her only friend is away for the moment.

“I can...but the more I stay without becoming…-the more difficult is to prevent from happening.” Nagini's hands trembled slightly, it was like being with symptoms of withdrawal. “My skin...it feels cold and itchy.”

“If there is anything I can help with...read the letter and then you can tell me, if you want.”

“I will.”

Tina went to the kitchen, probably wanting to get started preparing something for them to eat or maybe she just wanted to give Nagini some privacy.

Nagini went to the living room they finished cleaning yesterday and sat on the freshly new couch that it was a bowl before. Tina seemed to be splendid with transfiguration.

She opened the letter and grabbed a thick amount of paper, all written by hand. She suspected that Dumbledore had this papers already ready for other purpose, judging by the pages were slightly yellow due to time.

When her eyes started to read the first page, she noticed that it was a reminder from Dumbledore to her.

It simply said:

_ I sincerely hope this will help you somehow. _

_ Professor Dumbledore _

Nagini continued her reading, making mental notes of new things she found registered between the many pages.

The pages contained tons of studies and researches, full of a difficult jargon that she wasn't used to read. But nevertheless she understood in the end what was basically explaining and orienting.

Her eyes went to the window by her side, she wondered if somehow that was indeed a cure to her affliction or if her life will have to be full of instructions.

One of the things she knew it was indeed good to prevent the transformation was to keep her cold, or at least, not too hot. That's why she is used on wearing thin or simple clothes, she felt the cold and hated, but she welcomed with a smile deep down. It also said about avoid stressful situations, something impossible to do at that moment. Moving on, she read three or more pages and decided that could wait a bit.

Yes, she wanted to find a cure. Yes, she knew she hasn't all the time in the world. But her head was almost exploding from a headache and she feared that it could end up making her change. Nagini didn't want to turn into a snake while Tina was with her, she believed the auror was powerfully and skilled, yet she didn't want to take the risk of hurting Tina.

She leaned back on the couch, observing the old ceiling, telling herself that maybe she would find something to help her between those old pages. Nagini found herself enjoying that she finally had people who could help her and that she was also part of a somewhat team.

When Nagini emerged on the kitchen, Tina was cursing at a hot pan that she probably touched without gloves. She hurried to her, asking if everything was alright and if she needed any help.

“Don’t fret, this is nothing. But good news, I bought some potatoes so I’m doing baked potatoes with tons of herbs.”

Tina went back to the stove and Nagini sat on a chair nearby, observing the auror almost reaching normality. Someone from outside if watched them, would say they are normal women preparing their dinner...they wouldn’t know that behind Tina’s easy smile was an efficient wizard or even if they looked at Nagini, would they think about the hidden creature under her skin.

“Did Dumbledore’s letter helped?”

Tina suddenly asked while not making eye contact, Nagini noticed she does that a lot when facing difficult subjects of a conversation or even when in presence of Newt.

“I didn’t finish reading yet.” She chose not to say anything, not because she didn’t knew Tina that well but because she didn’t want to give anyone hope. Nagini hated letting people down, or giving false hope of anything so she decided to keep to herself the few things she read so far. “Do you think there is a cure?”

Tina turned around to look at Nagini with apprehensive eyes. The auror was thinking, Nagini noticed, not sure exactly because Tina seemed to be counting by the way her mouth moved silently.

“I learned that everything is possible. I'm sure we will find something.”

“I'm sure we will...I will find some plates for us…”

She stood up and looked around the cabinets for some plates or any type of china that could help them.

The days passed like a flash, both women occupied with their own affairs to notice that time was ticking. Nagini couldn't sleep well, tormented by the holowess feelings inside of her chest. Wondering what Credence was doing and if he was being take care of.

She also got busy with the researches she received from Dumbledore after the last meeting and when Tina went shopping for groceries every two days, she decided to clean the rooms they weren't using. Just so she could move around the house and help her host in some way.

Tina told her in a rainy day that she needed to visit Newt, and when Nagini naively asked why the auror grinned and said that he was going to show her how to feed Testrals, horse magic creatures.

She was happy seeing Tina practically jumping to go out, and she hoped that whatever feelings that were being nurtured between her and Newt, would make both of them happy.

Nagini sat on the windowsill and observed Tina going down the street to where she usually apparated. Noticing that the rain was only going to increase at this rate, and she stayed there. Not so sure thinking about what. But she followed the drops of rain as they descend on the surface of the window and traced with her fingers.

Her hands were trembling slightly, so she closed her eyes and tried to breathe calmly. But then an idea appeared in her mind...Tina will be gone for hours. She could transform and go back to her human form before she was even going to come back from her meeting with Newt. She could do it. Then the symptoms would lessen for the time being.

She went to one of the room she was cleaning these days when Tina wasn't looking and locked herself in it. Nagini was on a room right under the attic, so very far from their bedroom and kitchen.

While breathing in and out, she let herself be consumed by the familiar pain and everything after that happened in a blur.

Waking up on the floor was somewhat familiar to her, but then she noticed the dark sky and her first thought was if Tina was already back and if she was looking for Nagini. She sat on the floor then, seeing the damaged walls and broken chair, knowing that the snake inside of her was getting stronger each day.

The door of the room opened ajar and Tina looked concerned at Nagini in the middle of getting up from the floor.

“What happened?” She looked around, noticing the broken furniture and gashes on the wallpaper. “I was worried you wandered outside and got lost…”

“No, I would have left a note.”

“Nagini…”

“I needed to do it by myself...the trembling was getting worse.”

Tina hugged her then. A friendly and warm hug, something that an older sister would give a younger one. And Nagini smiled for the first time in a while.

“Let's get out of this room...Newt send you his regards and I stopped to buy pasta!”

*

The next few days were occupied by Nagini’s constantly rereading some pages of the flood of papers that were always over her bedsheets, mostly from Dumbledore’s envelope but now Tina brought some books about magical creatures and researchs she found at some bookstores on Dyagon Alley. 

Oftenly, Tina disappeared for hours, Nagini never felt the urge to ask her whereabouts because it didn't seem something she should inquire about. Nagini knew that Tina wanted to spend time with Newt, so when the auror asked if she wanted to join her trips to Newt’s suitcase, she always made an excuse.

Nagini loved hearing about Newt’s creatures, there were many that she never heard about before and some that she recognized from the time she was at school. She loved the ones that could fly, she blamed her desire of being set free from her curse, and wings were something that could take her far away from everything. Tina sometimes eyes Nagini with a troubling expression, she thought Nagini couldn’t notice but she saw everything and she knew that the auror was looking for any sign of Nagini’s losing control.

“Newt asked you to come today...I think Dumbledore and the rest are going to. So everyone involved should be present.”

Nagini looked up from the book about mandragoras she was reading, totally for her pleasure because herbology was her favorite subject in school. She put the book aside, and when they went outside of the house she felt joy for the first time in a while. Tina advised her to stay inside at all times, the author feared that somehow someone would recognize Nagini.

They apparated to just outside Newt's suitcase. Nagini still felt a little claustrophobic she. Entering the narrow staircase going down inside the suitcase but she always take a deep breath before going in to calm her nerves.

The first thing she noticed was the lack of creatures. When the last time she was there the room was bursting with colors and different types of animals or creatures, this time it seemed almost like a desert. Without life or anything around it.

She wanted to ask but her voice failed her. Nagini was afraid of being a annoyance or even a tad noise so she kept to herself. Tina went almost skipping down the stone staircase, ignoring the pit where it used to be a lake for one of Newt's aquatic creatures. Nagini wondered if Tina was not telling her something.

"Newt!" Tina said almost desperately appt. "We are here…"

They passed through a door and met everyone from the last gathering, Nagini felt that one or two people were missing but she couldn't quite place whom. She was suddenly distracted by Dumbledore coming towards her wearing a navy vest with stars in it...she wondered if it wasn't an illusion or something like that.

He placed a hand on her shoulder, Nagini should teach Dumbledore about boundaries during some free time on his apparently busy schedule.

"I hope you found interesting what I have sent to you."

"Yes, thank you. I'm still going through it but it gave me some ideas."

"That's splendid!" He clapped his hands delighted and then turned around, already moving towards the table. "Let me know if I can provide you anything more, Miss Nagini."

He was with his back to her, but she knew he felt her nodding in regards to his question. She smiled to Newt and then they all sat.

The meeting was basically useless in Nagini's opinion. They talked about some places that had rumours of being Grindelwald's base but nothing concrete came out of their investigations. Mr.Kama apparently went to Romania following a pack of wizard gangs that were conspiring with Grindelwald's idea. There wasn't still nothing new coming from Newt's research about blood pacts so they were stuck with their plans.

Jacob went back to work, they realized that Grindelwald wouldn't do him any harm because he was too valuable to Queenie, and he couldn't do something that would make her hate him. Nagini should still lay low, but she had the feeling that it was more because of her situation than because of her involvement with Credence. If it was solely because of him, she should go back to her normal life.

When everyone started to stand up from their seats, she stayed behind. Lost in thoughts, realizing that she didn't know what a normal life was. She never had that, at least not one that she remembers with clarity.

There was an strange buzz on her ears, sometimes her hearing acted out, one of the side effects of her condition. She placed her hands above her ears, trying to ease the ringing and pain. Something strange happened. She was able to hear Tina whispering something to Mr.Jones, an author of trust that was feeding them with information about the Ministry, about the President's next moves against Grindelwald. Then she hear the water coming down from somewhere and then Dumbledore's voice-

"-nothing we can do, Newt. We have to think about the amount of innocent people he will hurt, not only about one poor boy."

"Yes, Dumbledore, but this boy-"

"It's sad, indeed. But Mr. Barebone would die helping us defeat a maniac."

Nagini didn't know how the chair she was sitting seconds before went flying backwards, hitting the wall and breaking into a thousand pieces. But she was angry. Angry that promises were being broken. Angry that those two people that she looked up as being good could talk about this if it was nothing. She knew Newt sounded hesitant about Dumbledore's words, but the boy would everything the older wizard said.

Her nails dig in the palms of her hands, and the air around her seemed to become shallow.

"You promised! You promised he wouldn't be hurt!" Nagini yelled at the pair on the other side of the room. Tina quickly started to come towards her. "Don't!" She said it to Tina, who stopped abruptly.

"Miss Nagini, we aren't going to kill him, it's just...if the time comes between saving everyone from Grindelwald by sacrificing Mr. Barebone or letting Grindelwald free to kill innocent people...we would chose the former. I'm sorry." Dumbledore's pity tone made everything worse in Nagini's mind.

It sounded fake and not truthful. It made her blood boil. She pressed her lips firmly and ran towards the staircase.

The dress she was wearing tugged up to make her movements quicker and then suddenly she was outside. With the cloudy sky above her head and rain drops falling on her.

She walked slowly through the streets of London. In a neighborhood she never been before, people stared at her and probably wondered why she was soaked to the skin and not carrying an umbrella. She didn't care. She needed to find some way of saving Credence, some way of getting him out of that man's claws.


	6. RAIN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone ♥️
> 
> I'm sorry to taking so long to update. I tried to write more chapter before posting this one so after I did the next chapters I will post them. But here is a transition chapter where things that happen but much more is to come.
> 
> Thanks for those who stuck around and didn't give up on me.
> 
> Hugs!

  
  


**RAIN**

_ London, 1927 _

There was something oddly comforting when feeling the raindrops touching your own skin, your real skin. Nagini felt alive, felt cold too, but that was something she was used to.

Her dress was completely drenched, her lips were trembling, but the only thing she could think about was the fact that they planned to kill Credence for the greater good. his life was less important than others...and Nagini wondered who were they to judge that? What power did they had? None, not when life and death were in the play.

She felt betrayed.

Dumbledore, with his talks about helping her and sending her some papers to read, everything felt fake now. All the smiles she shared with tina, and the worried glances the auror had for Nagini, they were all a lie too?

It was difficult to discern what was a lie and what was real.

She bumped into someone who was trying to get away from the rain, so she crouched over the sidewalk. Trying to hold on to her pain and concentrate to not lose control over it.

Her hands were trembling, her breathing shallow. And when she felt the presence of magic, she turned to face the person.

It wasn't Newt.

Or Tina.

And not even Dumbledore.

It was a man. A strange one and definitely a wizard.

He snickered, taking some steps towards her. Nagini stood up in the midst of pain, facing the person with terror on her veins. He screamed of danger.

“Hello, Miss Nagini.” His voice sounded vicious, and his hands moved around as if he didn’t have any control over them. “Credence is waiting for you…”

She saw his hand flickering the wand on his grasp, at first nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but then her body started to move forward. Nagini tried to stay, her feet seemed out of function, when she faced the man in front of her the realization of what was happening came.

The man used and unspoken spell to control her body, that indicated an enormous amount of magic and judging from what he said before, he was acquainted to Grindelwald.

Her muscles were strained by her want of not move with the body actually moving. Nagini felt like she was drifting, that her members were unattaching from herself, and when the snake inside of her stirred she started to become afraid.

"Don't fight the spell...I promised Grindelwald I wouldn't touch you or harm you. But if you make my life difficult, tsc, I will have to do something drastic." His thin lips formed a sky smile, which seemed to make Nagini's head alerts scream of danger even more.

She couldn't go.

Not to be in the presence of that lunatic, she needed help to defeat him and rescue Credence. She hated the friends she seemed to have now, but they were the good people, the people who will most likely save the day.

The snake sang to her. Like all the times she succumbed to the creature, she felt at peace throughout hell, knowing that anything close to her would fall.

Her feet were dragging through the street pavement, the sky was a full gray with rain pouring down uninterrupted. The hair dripping and glueing to her dress, while the cold seemed to never come.

The man grew impatient, taking some steps ahead, and that was his mistake.

When the snake inside of her acts on instinct, there's nothing stopping her. And even though Nagini was peacefully lost inside of her, she knew that the man would be destroyed, or almost.

*******

The side of her head was against the hard street pavement, with her vision still blurred, she could only hear things around her.

Hurried steps going on pools of water were coming towards her, she panicked thinking it was the man but when a gentle hand touched her cheek, she knew it was Tina.

Nagini's body was out of commission, she didn't know to make them move, after coming back from being a creature she always had a few seconds of uncomfortable paralysis. In the past it didn't matter because nothing eventful happened in her life before, but now she couldn't let the thing inside of her hurt anyone.

Nagini was inclined to let the snake hurt those who want to hurt her though.

Coming back from being out of control always took a toll of her, for some minutes she would be incapable of doing basically everything and she was relieved to know that at least Tina was there. And unharmed.

Tina was talking with someone, and a frantic voice responded to her voice, a voice she couldn’t identify. Nagini tried to lift her head from the ground but it was pointless, gravity was stronger than her at the moment.

There was a moment where she thought of home. Of the time she laid back on the warm soil outside of her house and watched the sun blasting it's light. Of when things were warm and beautiful. Her mind drifted to that, to the feeling of being hugged by the space around her and not suffocated.

And when the pain and dizziness finally lifted, her eyes opened and they revealed a familiar room.

Nagini was back inside Newt's case.

Tina was next to her, sitting on a wooden chair that once Nagini found Newt's brother asleep. By the way her chest was moving and the absence of light, she realized it was in the middle of the night.

She must have made a sound because Tina stirred a little before turning to see Nagini.

"Nagini…"

Her friend, or something close to that, reached for her arm but Nagini flinched away. Still hurt and still mad.

"You have to believe me when I say I didn't know...I care for Credence, too." 

Nagini tried to remain calm, to be racional.

"You all promised. But deep down, I knew it wasn't going to last...you all have your own agenda. And so am I."

Because of her tone, Tina sensed what Nagini was hinting. She was preparing to leave them, even without their help...well, she didn't have much hope being alone. But she had to try, and she knows she can trust herself.

"You can't fend off on your own." Nagini looked at Tina with angry eyes. "Nagini, you are not weak, listen to me. It's just because you don't have a wand and as you noticed... Grindelwald is sending people to catch you."

Nagini understood what Grindelwald was doing. Getting leverage so then he can control Credence even more. If he was doing that with him, he was also…

"Is Jacob safe?"

The worry in her voice was unusual, but she couldn't help to feel that Jacob and her where in similar situations. Frankly, they should start a club or something.

"Yes, Newt went to talk with him. And try to see where he can send Jacob to."

"What do you mean?"

"Jacob can't stay with us... it's dangerous and he should hide. We were hoping you would let us help you find a safe place..."

"Tina, I can't go and hide. I need to find Credence!"

Nagini stood up from the bed, stumbling a little because of her rush when moving. She grabbed the side of the table near the bed and sighed exasperatedly.

"I know, but it's better if you are not caught...think about it. If they don't have you, they can't control Credence...so Grindelwald is basically on stage zero again. He will try to do other things while looking for a way to make Credence obey him...but he knows he can't force it."

Tina had an incredible optimistic mind if she had thought that Grindelwald wouldn't use force to make Credence help him. He had the eyes of someone smart enough to leave feelings or humanity behind and do anything to achieve his goals. You can realize that if you take into consideration his friendship with Dumbledore, that once was so deep that they did a blood pact.

Nagini knew the importance of a pact like that. It was almost as bad as a Unbreakable Vow. She heard stories of people who crash and burned because of it, that had their whole lives upside down and sometime being alive was worse than the death that you encounter if you break an Unbreakable Vow.

Blood Pacts were inconsistencies and dangerous.

For a man to chose that...they both were insane. But Grindelwald had a darkness that Dumbledore lacked most of the times, he was cunning and calculist but not a bad person.

Nagini tried to have hope that Credence was thinking that the choice he made was a mistake, but she couldn't be certain. She doubted that he had any time left to think about her even. Credence once that he set his mind to something...he got distracted and that thing became his obsession.

He could be thinking that Nagini was dead. Or that he went to the side he judged being not the best option for himself.

There were too many 'ifs' in her mind, too many questions and prayers. He wasn't a religious person but she would take any help.

She looked at Tina in front of her, waiting patiently while Nagini had a mental debate with herself.

"I don't want to be alone."

There was all she could say to her friend. She was still angry and hurt, but she trusted the auror.

"Oh, I don't know what Newt is thinking but we wouldn't leave you alone." Tina placed a hand over Nagini's shoulder. "We will make it work. You will be safe and we will try to find them before…"

"Before you run out of options and kill him."

"Nagini…"

She passed her fingers over her cheek to dry the fee tears that escaped her eyes. She needed to be strong, not to herself only but for Credence.

They both startled when hearing a noise of something falling on the other room. Tina ran towards the sound with her wand risen and sighed loudly from the other room.

Nagini went to check. And saw Newt carrying a bag and looking...burned?

"Meet, what are these ashes…?" Tina asked trying to wipe them off his skin.

"Oh, nothing...I had to contact my brother and it was practically impossible. In the end... well my message got to him."

He passed his wand in front of himself and muttered words she couldn't identify. Suddenly he was fully clean and his old self.

Newt's met Nagini questioning eyes and smiled.

"Tina told you about finding a place suitable for your safety?" She nodded. "Well, I found the place and you will need to be ready in one hour because I have a Portkey set to a scheduled hour and minute."

Nagini looked at her hands, like her life, they were empty and trying to find in what to hold on to. The person she could count on completely was gone for the time being. So she linked her fingers over her body and looked at Newt again.

"I'm ready."


End file.
